simply essential

Only a few hand tools find their way into a chef's must-have list

May 28, 2003|By David Sharos, Special to the Tribune.

By now, most of us have been deluged with a variety of television infomercials hawking the latest kitchen inventions: "wonder" pots that strain pasta, doohickeys that slice avocados, thingamajigs that pit cherries.

Maybe some of them are useful, but experts say others offer more hype than substance. With a little guidance, cooks can find more durable gadgets to make mincing, slicing, mixing or grating easier and improve a dish's presentation, texture or flavor.

"We really haven't reinvented the wheel in terms of food preparation," Cizma said. "You've still got to use a lot of basic tools.

"There have been some improvements in ergonomics. Things are more heat conductive. But in terms of technology, a guy with some knife skills and an 8-inch blade can do an awful lot."

But retailers know there is a market for new gadgets. Tools add "a fun fashion element" to the kitchen, according to Williams-Sonoma's director of merchandising/culinary content Donata Maggipinto, who said bright color is this year's big trend in tools such as spatulas and equipment such as mixers.

Colors may be cool for decorating a home kitchen, but professional chefs need the real deal when it comes to preparing the dishes that keep customers coming back.

High-end gear

For the serious cook, several professional-grade gadgets may be worth your money. Professional-grade, cooks say, is about more than size: It's about power, quality of material, ease of operation and cleaning, and dependability.

"Frankly, they are usually tools that can be dropped without breaking them," said chef Sandy D'Amato, who operates the Coquette Cafe and Sanford restaurant in Milwaukee. "You'll find stainless steel, for instance, in food processors, rather than plastic. Pans are a heavier gauge, and motors are more powerful.

"If you plan to buy what the professionals use, you have to balance the cost against the labor the tool will save you."

Warren Herzog, owner of a commercial kitchen store, Herzog Store Fixtures, in Chicago, agrees that professional quality is a "weighty" issue.

"You're talking about steel bowls, nothing with glass or Pyrex, knives without plastic handles, and just a lot more weight," Herzog said.

Mark Facklam, former executive chef at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, says he doesn't use trendy gadgets while teaching, calling them "something bought at Christmas by home enthusiasts."

"We want students to learn to use the basic tools," he said. "There are some things that are becoming popular again, like the mandoline, which I don't consider a gizmo--I've had one for 37 years."

Of course, one cook's gadget can be another's basic necessity.

D'Amato's tip for those interested in high-end gear is simple: Ask the chefs at your favorite restaurants about the tools they use in their own homes. Chances are, you'll be buying a high-quality tool without overdoing it.

Northwestern Cutlery on Lake Street is a favorite among professionals and homemakers looking for anything from knife sharpening services to the latest kitchen tool. Manager Marty Petlicki believes the right tool can benefit the executive chef or the home cook.

"Chefs would be the first ones to tell you to keep things simple," Petlicki said. "You don't want to overdo it and feel like you need everything. One benefit a tool may offer the chef is it allows him to do ordinary tasks quicker and spend more time on his creativity. And for the home cook, it often means being able to make things look like they do in the restaurant."

Tools can never make up for a lack of basic cooking and cutting skills. But Cizma and others suggest a few favorites that will make life easier and add to what Cizma calls "economy of movement:" completing a task in one or two steps instead of three, four or more.

Chef favorites

Pat Cassata, owner and chef of Eclectic restaurant in Barrington, likes the mandoline for a variety of dishes made at Eclectic, such as Vietnamese coleslaw or a red onion salsa.

Foods are passed over the mandoline's sharp metal blade, which cuts them into shapes ranging from waffle cuts to julienne strips. Cassata says the tool makes "awesome" fries and onion rings--even home-style potato chips. It sells for about $130.

"This is the first tool beyond a chef's knife I had anything to do with," he said. "There are two sides to the cutting surface, one with a smooth blade, the other with teeth for making waffle cuts. I use the Bron brand, made in France. It folds up in a drawer when it is not in use, and it's a time-saving, efficient piece."